Question

Carbohydrates are commonly found as starch in plant storage organs. Which of the following five properties of starch makes it useful as a storage material?
(A) Easily translocated
(B) Chemically non-reactive
(C) Easily digested by animals
(D) Osmotically inactive
(E) Synthesized during photosynthesis
The useful proeprties are

• A. (A), (C) and (E)
• B. (A) and (E)
• C. (B) and (C)
• D. (B) and (D)

Answer 1

The correct option is D (B) and (D)

The compound used as storage compound should be chemically unreactive then only it can store and hold energy. Further storage compound should be osmotically inactive otherwise the cell storing it would swell and burst. Both of these requirements are fulfilled by starch. Hence, starch is the most commonly stored form of carbohydrate in plants. In plants carbohydrates are synthesized as glucose or fructose, transported as sucrose and stored as starch.